Prayer rail



J. J. MccANN Jan. .4 1927.

PRAYER RAIL Y Filed Nov;v 5

Patented Jan. 4i, i927.

JOI-IN JAMES MCCANN, QF CHECAGO, ILLINOIS.

PRAYER .BAIL

Application led November 5, 1923. Serial No. 672,757.

This invention relates to improvements in prayer rails. vl't, is particularly directed to improvements over the construction shown and described in my U. S. Letters Patentl No.

l 1,394,919, issued October 25, 1921,

The invention in the present instance is particularly useful to undertakers for use in connection with funeral rites conducted and observedby people under the Roman Catholic faith at funeral wakes.

VThe invention is particularly useful in eliminating the embarrassing difficulties met in the performance of such fun-eral rites in the observance of prayer before the casket of the deceased by the provision of a prayer rail, which will enable persons kneeling before the casket to do so with great ease, and provide means for enabling them to arise with the least possible eort and inconvenience. l

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved collapsibleY prayer rail which can be readily knocked down by the undertaker and be compactly 5 arranged in a container, such, for instance,

as an ordinary suitcase, for convenient transportation from place to place.

A further obj ect ofthe invention is to provide an improved prayer rail which is strong and durable in construction, and which, at

the same time, is light in weight.

A still further object of the inventionl is tov provide an improved means for detachably and frictionally securing1 the parts together which go to make up the prayer rail.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a supplemental detachable support between the tivo sections of the kneelingr bench.

These and other objects are accomplished by providing a constructional arrangement of the various parts in the manner hereinafter described, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings- Figure 1 is a front elevational View of my improved form of prayer rail;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the end bracket;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the detachable supplemental support for supporting the inner ends of the sections which go to make up the kneeling bench; y

Figs. l and 5 are side elevational views and 55 bottom plan views respectively of the pins by means of which the sections are adapted to be detachably secured to the end brackets and supplemental intermediate support;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing the manner in which'the cross rail is detachably secured to the end brackets; and

7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing the manner in which the sections which go to make up the cross-rail are frictionally secured together.

in carrying out the present invention, I have shown my improved prayer rail as comprising` end brackets 10, which are adapted to rest on the floor, and are preferably ma de of aluminum so to be li ght in structure.. rlhese end brackets are substantially L-shape in form, and are provided at their upper ends thereof with vertical sockets 11,

"which are formed integrally therewith. The

vertical sockets 11 are provided with a thumb screw adjustment 12 for the purpose hereinafter set forth. The lower end of the bracketslO are provided with inwardly extending shoulders 13. These shoulders 13 are provided with verticallvt,7V extending apertures 111-.

ln order to make my improved rail collapsible so that the saine can be compactly arranged so as to 'occupy a. minimum amount space and be conveniently carried in a container, such. for instance, as an ordinary suitcase, l have provided aY kneeling rail two sections, as shown at l5, which are preferably upholstered on the top side thereof. The outer ends of thesebrackts are provided with frietional slip conjctions comprisinev a plurality7 of pins 16, hich are adapted to engage the apertures t in the outer brackets by being frictionally secured therein, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. In order to support the inner ends of these sections 15. l have provided an intermediate or supplemental support 17. which comprises a base 18 and an upper plate 19. The upper plate 19 is provided with a plurality of aperturesQO, which are adapted to have frictioually secured therein the pins 16 securedto the inner ends of the sections 15 of the bench, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The upper ends of the end brackets 10 are ield rigidly in their respective positions the iail has been assembled by a crossrail 21. which is made up of two sections 22. These sections 22 are frictionally secured to- ;jfjether by a collar 23. The outer ends of the rail sections 22 have formed integrally therewith knobs 24:, which, in turn, have formed integrally vertically extending portions `25. hese vertical portions 25 of the rails 22 are adapted to telescopically connect with the vertical sockets 1l formed in the end brackets l0. The height of the cross-rail may be adjusted With respect to the end rails by adjusting the vertical portion 25 of the sections 22 in the sockets ll ot the brackets l0 by the thumb scren7 l2, Which is adapted to enga-ge a plurali-ty of apertures 26 termed in these .vert-ical portions.

fFro-m .the above description it will be seen that when the Sections 22, together vWith their vertical portions 25 Which go to make up the cross-rail 2l, are Withdrawn from the sock- Yets l1 that these sections may be disconnected from ,the coll-ar 23, and .that the sections 15 which go to make up .the kneeling bench `are disconnected from the end brackets and intermedia-te support that `all these parts which go to make up my collapsible prayer rail may be arranged so as to occupy a minimum amount of space in order that the same may be conveniently transported in al container of substantially the same size 4as an ordinary suitcase.

When the device is assembled it is placed before the casket, and persons offering pray- .er may rest their hands upon the rail to enable them to assume a kneeling position on the bench. and when rising may use the rail to -assist them to assume a standing position Without ditliculty Ior discomfort.

AFrom the above description it Will be noted that l have provided a very simple and eilicicnt pra-yer rail construction which has substantially all of its parts frictionally secured together, by reason ot which the same can be readily knocked donn and compactly arranged so that the same can be conveniently transported from place to place.

Wha-t l claim as my invention :and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A collapsible prayer rail comprising a pair of end brackets, a sectional kneeling bench detachably secured adjacent the lower end of and supported on said brackets, a supplemental support adapted to rest on the floor and engage the inner ends oit' said sections, and a cross-rail detachably secured to the upper ends ot said brackets for rigidly securing said brackets together.

2. A collapsible prayer rail comprising a pair .of end brackets adapted to rest on the floor, a sectional kneeling bench mounted on said brackets, a supplemental support mounted between said brackets for supporting the inner ends ot said sectional kneeling bench, means `tor frictionally securing Said kneeling bench to said brackets and supplemental support comprising vertically extending pins and cooperating sockets therefor, a cross rail connecting the upper ends lof said brackets together and means Lelasvi for frictionally securing said cross .rails to said brackets.

3. A collapsible pra-yer rail comprising a pair of end brackets, a sectional kneeling Ybench detachabiy secured by means of fric- .tional connections to said brackets, a supplemental support adapted to rest on the floor and .detachably connected to said sections at the junction ot said sections by means of trict-ional slip connections, .and a :cross-rail Vlor detachably securing said brackets rigidly together.

4. A collapsible prayer rail comprising a pair of end brackets, kneeling bench made up of -two sections, .a supplemental vertical support positioned between said brackets and adapted to rest on the tloor and support the inner .ends of said sections, the latter being secured by means of rictiona-l conf nections to said supplemental support and a .cross rail bein-g trictionally secured to the upper ends of said brackets tor rigidly securing said brackets together.

5. A collapsible prayer rail comprising apair oit y`end brackets, a kneeling bench comprising a plurality of sections mounted .on said brackets, there being a plurality .of vapertures in said brackets, a plurality ,of pins carried on the inner and outer ends of said sections, the pins on the .outer ends ot' said sections `engageable with the apertures in said brackets for detachably securing said sections to said brackets, supplemental support adapted to rest -on the loor .and positioned adjacent the inner ends of ,said sections, said support having a plurality of apertures adapted to receive the pins on the inne-r ends .of sai-d sections, and a sectional cross-rail detachably secured to said brackets lor rigidly securing` said brackets to` gether.

`6. A knock-.down prayer rail et sectional .character comprising a tubular sectional arm rest, a sectional knee rest, ,detachable end brackets therefor detaohably connected respectively to :a corresponding section of the arm rest and knee rest' sections, and a detachable middle support formed and adapted to connect and support the adjacent ends of the knee rest sections, the arm rest sections being` connected by a splice member concentric with the arm rest sections which abut together endwise.

7. A collapsible prayer rail comprising a pair of `end brackets, anV arm rest consisting of a plurality Aof sections connected to the upper ends ot said brackets, 'a knee rest consisting o1" a plurality of sections mounted on said brackets, and means for securing the Vinner ends of said knee rest sections together.

8. A collapsible prayer rail comprising a pair of end brackets, said prayer rail being substantially twice as long as high, an arm rest consisting ont a plurality ot' sections connected to the upper ends of said bracket,

sections together.

a knee rest consisting of la plurality of seetions mounted on said bracket, and means for securing the inner ends of said knee rest 9. A collapsible prayer rail comprising a pair of end brackets, an arm rest consisting of a plurality of sections Connected to the upper ends of said brackets, a knee rest oonsisting of a plurality of sections mounted on said brackets, and means mounted on the 10 name to this specication, on this 20th day 15 Lof October A. D. 1923.

JOHN JAMES MOCANN. 

